Page 94 of Love for a Lifetime

“I’m not blind,” Lauren said.

“Um, yeah. I don’t think Olivia is there yet though.” He held up a finger in front of his lips, asking her to keep a secret.

Lauren nodded. “I won’t tell anyone.”

He knew she wouldn’t. Lauren wasn’t the gossiping type. If anything, she’d probably get Olivia talking about it and hopefully they’d work through how to tell Anna. If that was the only thing holding Olivia back, he wanted it cleared up as soon as possible.

Betsy ran up to Dawson, propping her front paws on his leg and barking rapidly. He looked up to find Olivia lagging a few steps behind with her head hanging.

He’d known something was wrong. Having Betsy call for help was all the confirmation he needed.

24

OLIVIA

The migraine hit full force as Olivia stepped out of the woods. The pressure had been building for hours, and she’d waited too long to take her medicine. Hopefully, it would kick in soon and she’d get some relief.

Betsy’s sharp barks pounded in Olivia’s head. She pressed the heel of her hand against her temple.

Dawson stood as she approached the campfire. His arm wrapped around her waist, anchoring her as her world swayed. He always found her, no matter the size of the crowd.

“What’s wrong?” his deep voice penetrated the crushing fog surrounding her.

“Migraine.” It was all she could do to push the word out with the invisible knives stabbing into her skull.

Dawson sat back down and gently maneuvered her between his knees before guiding her to sit on his thigh. The warmth of his arm around her back was the only awareness that stood out amongst the pain.

Her head was too heavy, falling to one side, then the other.

“Is she okay?” Maddie asked from somewhere nearby.

Dawson wrapped his other arm around her, guiding her head to rest against his shoulder. “She said it’s a migraine.”

“I’ll get her some water.” The sounds were farther away now–too muffled for Olivia to tell who was speaking.

“What do you need?” Dawson whispered against her hair. The vibrations of his deep words reverberated through his chest and into her body.

“I’ve got water!” Lauren said.

“Water.” Olivia lifted her head slowly, pushing against the crushing weight.

Dawson’s big hand lifted hers and pressed the water into her hand. She didn’t even have to open her eyes as the bottle lifted to her lips. She flinched at the freezing water as it slid down her throat.

Pulling away, she slowly shook her head. Pressure built at the nape of her neck, and the dinner she’d just eaten bubbled in her gut.

“It looks like she can’t drink any more,” Maddie said.

“Sick,” Olivia mumbled as her head lolled again. She’d experienced a wide variety of migraine symptoms before, and vomiting was her least favorite.

Dawson wrapped his arm tight around her back and shifted to hook his arm behind her knees. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“I’ll take care of Betsy,” Levi said.

She was thankful for Levi’s help but couldn’t voice the words. Taking care of herself was more than she could manage.

“Thanks, buddy. You’re a big help,” Dawson said as he stood and started walking.

“Is she gonna be okay?” Levi asked, trailing along behind them.

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